ISC Class 11 Syllabus 2028 Sociology

ISC
INDIAN SCHOOL CERTIFICATE
EXAMINATION

YEAR 2028

SOCIOLOGY
(854)

Developed by:
Research, Development and Curriculum Division (RDCD)
CISCE

January 2026
____________________________________________________________________________________________

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Council for the Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE)

MISSION STATEMENT

The Council for the Indian School Certificate
Examinations is committed to serving the nation's
children, through high quality educational
endeavours, empowering them to contribute towards
a humane, just and pluralistic society, promoting
introspective living, by creating exciting learning
opportunities, with a commitment to excellence.

ETHOS OF CISCE

Trust and fair play.
Minimum monitoring.
Allowing schools to evolve their own niche.
Catering to the needs of the children.
Giving freedom to experiment with new ideas
and practices.
Diversity and plurality - the basic strength for
evolution of ideas.
Schools to motivate pupils towards the
cultivation of:
Excellence - The Indian and Global
experience.
Values - Spiritual and cultural - to be the bedrock
of the educational experience.
Schools to have an 'Indian Ethos', strong roots in
the national psyche and be sensitive to national
aspirations.

SOCIOLOGY (854)

Aims:
1. To familiarise candidates with the basic concepts of Sociology and Anthropology.
2. To develop in candidates an understanding of various forces that constitutes social life and social
problems.
3. To create an awareness of the process of change and development in general and with reference to the
Indian society in particular.
4. To provide candidates with the means whereby they can come to a better understanding of other cultures
as well as of their own.
5. To form in candidates, the habit of scrutinising social assumptions and beliefs in the light of scientific
evidence.
6. To introduce a deeper study of the subject for the tertiary level.

CLASS XI
There will be two papers in the subject:
Paper I - Theory: 3 hours ……70 marks
Paper II- Practical Work ……30 marks

PAPER I (THEORY) : 70 MARKS
1. Origin and Development of Sociology and Anthropology
(i) Emergence of Sociology and Anthropology as Disciplines.
Discuss the definition, origin and growth of the two disciplines briefly.
Define the nature and scope of Sociology.
(ii) Classical Thinkers and Theories.
Contribution of the Classical Thinkers on the basis of their theories.
Discuss the contribution of the following on the basis of the given theories:
• Auguste Comte – Positivism;
• Herbert Spencer – Theory of Evolution (use Social Darwinism, Organic Analogy);
• Emile Durkheim - Structural Functionalism (use the concepts sacred and profane, division of
labour, solidarity)
• Max Weber - Interpretive Sociology (bureaucracy, types of authority);
• Karl Marx - Conflict Theory (class and class struggle).
(iii) Sociology and other Social Sciences.
An understanding of the interrelationship between Sociology and other Social Sciences
Relationship between Sociology and other Social Sciences (similarities and differences) - Political
Science, Economics, Anthropology, History, Psychology, Philosophy.

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2. Research Methodology
Importance of research methodology in Sociology and Anthropology.
Definition and importance of social research.
Methods of Sociology and Anthropology – Comparative method, statistical method, field work and case
study method, historical method and scientific method (formulation of the problem, observation,
classification, hypothesis, verification, and prediction).
Tools of data collection:Primary- questionnaire, interview, observation, secondary-documentary
research.
Definition, merits and demerits of the above.

3. Basic Concepts
(i) Individual and Society.
Understanding the role of an individual and his relation to society.
Definition of Society; characteristics of Society – to be explained in detail.
Discuss the definition, characteristics, problems and differences between Rural and Urban Society.
(ii) Socialization – Man as a Social Animal.
Human being as a rational and social partner in environmental actions.
Definition and characteristics of socialization; primary and secondary agencies of socialization
(family, school, society, peer group, media, religion).
Definition of natural selection, social selection and heredity.
Nature vs. nurture – to be discussed briefly (Explain man as a social being using any one of the
following examples of the feral cases of Genie, Amla and Kamala and Anna. Documentaries on Genie
and Anna may be shown as resource material).
(iii) Culture
Notion and attributes of culture.
Definition and characteristics of culture; brief explanation of the features of norms, folkways, mores,
customs, values. Definitions only of material and non-material culture, culture lag and culture
conflict.
A brief look at some past traditions and customs which reflect a close understanding of material and
non-material culture e.g. sacred groves, johads, eris (water tanks of South India), farmers crops and
growing season in complete harmony with the local environment and seasons, etc.

4. Social Structure
(i) Social groups
Definition and features of a group, definition and features of Primary Groups and Secondary Groups,
differences between Primary Groups and Secondary Groups; definition and features of Organized
and Unorganized groups (public, mobs, crowd and crowd behaviour), differences between Organized
and Unorganized groups; definition only of the Reference group, In-group, Out-group.
(ii) Status and Role
Definition of status; types of status - ascribed and achieved: definition, features and differences
between the two; determinants of status.
Definition of role, role conflict and role stereotype.
The above to be explained with the help of examples with special reference to the Looking Glass Self
Theory by C.H. Cooley (definition and brief explanation through one example).
(iii) Social processes.
Co-operation, competition and conflict – their definitions, characteristics and differences.

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5. Social Problems
Over population, Child Labour, Juvenile Delinquency, Problems of the Aged and Problems of the
Differently Abled (social and cultural attitude and built environment).
All the above social problems to be discussed in detail highlighting their causes and remedial measures.
Additionally, problems of the aged and problems of the differently abled to be discussed with reference to
social, cultural environment and the infrastructure - attitudes, special requirements e.g. ramps, signage.

6. Indian Sociologists
Contribution of the Indian Thinkers in the field of Sociology: Radha Kamal Mukherjee, N.K. Bose, Irawati
Karve, G.S. Ghurye, M.N. Srinivas.
The following contributions of each of the thinkers are to be discussed:
Radha Kamal Mukherjee - Social Ecology;
G.S. Ghurye – Theories of Origin of the Caste system;
N.K. Bose – The Hindu Method of Tribal absorption;
Irawati Karve – Kinship and the family;
M.N. Srinivas – The Concept of Brahminization and Sankritization.

PAPER II (PROJECT WORK) : 30 MARKS
To do justice to the basic structural principles and theoretical orientation of the discipline, empirical and
ethnographic substantiation is essential. In keeping with the significance of doing practical work and gaining
a hands-on understanding of various social issues, candidates are expected to undertake two studies. Topics
for the studies should be chosen from within the overall syllabus as there is ample scope for diversity.
Candidates will be expected to have completed two studies from any chapter covered in Theory. Assessment
for each study will be as detailed below:
Mark allocation per study [15 marks] will be as follows:
Statement of the purpose 1 mark
Overall format 1 mark
Hypothesis 1 mark
Choice of technique 1 mark
Detailed procedure 4 marks
Limitation 1 mark
Conclusion 2 marks
Viva-voce based on the study 4 marks
TOTAL 15 Marks

List of suggested studies for Project Work:
1. The problem of Child Labour in India.
2. Children and beggary.
3. Poverty and Crime
4. The Population explosion and its impact on urban society.
5. The changing nature of culture and tradition.
6. Cultural fusion and Gen-X.
7. The Urban family, the role of Voluntary Associations or The Urban Neighbourhood.
8. Rural society in India or The Village in India (an example can be taken and elaborated upon, for e.g. Anna
Hazare’s village Ralegan Siddhi).

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9. Biographical sketch of one of the thinkers – Weber, Comte, Srinivas, Ghurye, etc.
10. Slums in the urban neighbourhood.
11. Problems of the aged in India.
12. Problems of the differently abled in India.
The topics that have been outlined for Practical Work are based on the syllabus.
The project topics are diverse and at the same time there are common themes running through some of them.
As this is so, it is possible to club some topics in terms of the methodology that can be used to carry out the
research as has been done below.
The nature of the topics that have been chosen can also be separated into two categories. Some topics are
theory based and so the methodology will largely be second hand information gathering from already
available material, while there are also ethnographic topics for which students can go and do first hand field
studies.
Some topics combine theory (second hand data) with the empirical (first hand data). It may be interesting if
teachers guide students towards doing one study of each kind. This way a student will have some knowledge
of both the theoretical as well as ethnographic character of social facts.
Guidelines for completing some of the studies for Practical Work are listed below. This may be used as a
reference for conducting studies on other listed topics.
1. The problem of Child Labour in India (S. No. 1 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
2. Children and Beggary (S. No. 2 - List of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
The methodology and the analysis is the same for the above two topics.
Aim: To study the social position of children in India.
Data: The data available here is both secondary and empirical.
Methodology: Students should first identify the sample they are going to study. To do this, students must
first seek out places where they can find children below the age of 15 years, engaged in doing work.
These can be: their neighbourhoods, on way to school or near school, construction sites, roadside eateries,
in homes, working in factories /repair shops, on street corner shops, children begging in the streets (or at
religious places), at traffic lights, at railway stations, etc.
Technique: Students need to identify whom they are going to study and then gather their data
− by observing the daily routine of the child/children and recording this; and
− by creating a questionnaire to interview them for preparing a case history.
The student needs to ask questions about:
• the age (remember many will lie about their age as they know it is illegal to work)
• family background (members in the family /caste/class/ and religion)
• level of education and whether they would like to go to school
• whether they are migrants and why they have migrated
• the economic position of the family and why they work/and who all in the family work
• what they earn
• how they spend their free time
• what would they like to do if they did not have to work
• how aware are they about the government law against child labour.
Students can classify the data gathered also in terms of the differences between girls and boys as this will
give an idea of gender discrimination existing in the sample.
The data gathered can be supported with a photo essay of the child /children studied and their living
conditions/work place, etc.

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Interpretation: An analysis of the data gathered is important and does not have to be complicated.
Students should be asked to do a critical examination of the data they gather by contrasting what they find
from their study with the government laws, which can be found on the Internet.
Students should be asked to look for information on industries where child labour is used.
For example:
− The firecracker industry in Sivakasi,
− Aligarh lock industry,
− Firozabad bangle workers,
− Carpet makers in Benaras,
− Mine workers in Manipur,
− Football makers in UP.
This information and the government legislations are easily available on the Internet.
This will help them understand and analyse the problem they have chosen to study.
They should:
(i) Examine why children are in these jobs/ positions;
(ii) Examine failure of the family and so the need for children to work;
(iii) Examine failure of the government to provide for such families;
(iv) Examine how these children fail to be educated and whether boys are more educated than girls;
(v) Examine the role of urban society in creating the need for such child labour (for example the
employment of young girls to take care of children in many urban households);
(vi) Identify how there is gender discrimination in terms of the kind of work boys and girls do;
(vii) Examine if there is a pattern in the migration, i.e., whether they come from the same region, caste
class and religion and how this can be related to the poor conditions of life where they are originally
from.
Conclusion
− Problems faced in data gathering and analyses to be mentioned.
− In conclusion, compare the situation of these children to their own urban advantaged upbringing and
do a critique of the local government as well as a critical self-analysis.
3. The Population Explosion and its Impact on Urban Society (S. No. 4 - List of suggested assignments
for Practical Work)
Aim: To examine the relationship between urban expansion and the collapse of the urban society.
This collapse is reflected not only in a breakdown of law and order but also in the breakdown of urban
infrastructure; and it leads to the growth of slums.
Data: Students can study a particular aspect of the collapse of the infrastructure.
For example:
− they can do a case study of the broken-down state of the roads,
− collapse of the transport system,
− the non-availability of water in their neighbourhoods,
− the power cuts,
− the rise of prices
− growth of the neighbourhood slum

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Technique: Students will have to gather first hand material from around their neighbourhoods:
− by observing how things have collapsed or changed and record these
− by interviewing residents in the area chosen and ask them their opinion of the changes and what
should be done to improve the situation
− by talking to local administrators like a councillor about why things have collapsed
Students can also take two neighbouring areas which seem different and compare the two areas.
Interpretation: The data gathered needs to be analysed by examining how:
(i) Civic agencies have failed to provide basic amenities;
(ii) Examine how residents feel they can contribute to improving the conditions;
(iii) They can also study the impact of migration on the urban areas leading to the rise of slums because
the population explosion is largely due to migration to the city;
(iv) Data will show why people migrate to the city;
(v) An interesting connection between the rural and urban areas can be drawn by looking at slums, and
the nature of occupations found there.
4. Biographical Sketches of one of the Thinkers - Weber, Comte, Srinivas, Ghurye, etc. (S. No. 9 - List
of suggested assignments for Practical Work)
Aim: To present a simple overview of the thinkers and their primary contribution and see how students
are able to apply practically what they have studied in class theoretically.
Data: Students must first choose a thinker they like.
Students will have to use secondary sources and what they have learnt in class to gather information. Other
secondary source materials available in the library should be used, such as encyclopaedias. Information is
also available on the internet.
Interpretation: From the available material, the student should:
− Present a brief biographical history of the thinker;
− Discuss major theoretical contributions of the thinker;
− Take an example to discuss the empirical application of anyone of the theoretical ideas attributed to
the thinker.
For example, a student could do a sketch of Durkheim and his study of religion and then take the example
of tribal religion to explain the concept of totems and clans. Or Marx’s concept of the rise of communism
can be discussed with the help of examples.

GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS:
1. It must be emphasized that the process of doing the project is as important as the final project.
2. Once the project/projects are chosen, there should be a process of brainstorming to encourage students to
prepare a draft/structure for the project before embarking on research.
3. During the brainstorming/discussion, the teacher should discuss the assessment criteria with the students.
4. The teacher should discuss the draft with the student with regard to the central question and the type of
sources to be used.
5. The students should be guided on doing the research and looking at different types of evidence.
6. Books and suitable reference material could be suggested by the teachers and made available to students.
7. Internet sites could be suggested, but care must be taken in selecting, using and citing these sites.
8. Students must be cautioned against plagiarism and be penalized for the same.
9. Marks must be awarded for content and originality and not for decorative elements and embellishments.
10. Projects must be the original work of the student.

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